PALM SPRINGS - To allow time for federal input, Riverside County supervisors postponed voting today on hiring a county-approved contractor to reconfigure a freeway interchange notorious for rush-hour backups.

"We needed a continuance because we're awaiting final approval from the federal government on the allocation of an additional $5 million in federal stimulus funds for the project," said county Transportation Department Director Juan Perez.

"We anticipated having everything in place today. But unfortunately, it's still in the process."

He said he expected federal officials to sign off on the funding proposal before the next board meeting on Jan. 26, when the supervisors are "very likely" to vote in favor of hiring Skanska USA to work on the Palm Drive/Gene Autry Trail Interchange Improvement project.

The Swedish company, which has offices in Riverside, estimates the interchange overhaul will cost roughly $17 million -- almost half of what the county's Transportation Department originally predicted.

A mix of federal stimulus funds, mitigation fees paid by developers, as well as appropriations from the city of Palm Springs and county Redevelopment Agency will cover the project's costs, according to Transportation Department documents.

Plans call for widening the Palm Desert/North Gene Autry Trail overpass at Interstate 10 from four to six lanes, as well as constructing loop ramps in a partial cloverleaf configuration to ease traffic flow.

Crews will also expand the nearby bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, according to the county Department of Transportation.

"This is an extremely congested interchange," said Perez.

Documents indicated that the proposed modifications would "increase capacity and improve the daily operation for current and future traffic volumes."

Work on the two-year project is slated to start next month and create some 350 construction jobs, according to Perez.

Skanska USA is also working on a multi-phase project in San Bernardino that involves adding lanes along a 7.5-mile stretch of Interstate 215.

Riverside County endorsed that project and urged federal funding because of the hundreds of construction jobs it has created in the Inland Empire.

Skanska USA's bid on the Palm Drive/Gene Autry Trail interchange was chosen over eight other contractors' bids, with the Swedish firm's being "the lowest responsive and responsible bid," according to documents.